The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-04-23
PETE, THE PIG.

His Mischrcvous factions at Last Force
Him Into the Pen with Common AMI
mails.
"Please, mamma, tell me story"
teased Edna, tossing back cloud of
yellow hair, and resting her small ell
bows upon my knees, in anticipation
of her request being at once granted,
us usual.
''What shall It bep"
ooh, once when you's little girl,
mamma, bout as big as me-" said
Edna, to start me off easily.
| "Well, then, once when was little
girl, about rs big us you, what do you
guess my father gave nae for birthday
present?''
"Oh, J. couldn't, mamma! Twas SO
long ago.
"a tiny pig! It's vicious mother had
destroyed all its little brothers and sis
tcrs, and it was with difficulty that
this one was rescued. 1 fed it for
some time with teaspoon, then
taught it to drink warm milk from a
bowl. 1t had the pinkest nose and
ears, and the very kinkiest tail you
ever saw. Its body was dotted with
black spots, and washed him every
day. l called him Pete, and he would
run to me when he heard me call his
name. He used to sleep nights in a
box of warm straw in the shed. He
liked to lay in my lap, like a kitten.
81 had broken my doll, and 1 used
to dress Pete up in her clothes, and
with n little kerchief tied down snug
over his ears, put him in my dolls
bed for u nap. "He liked it pretty
well, too-after he was dressed. But
he rebelled loudly when l would try to
pull his legs through the dress sleeves.
They were rather tight. Aunt Dolly
protested that l world pull his legs
out of joint. But / Icy ar did.
Then his tail was III. ays quirking.
even in his sleep, making his dress
skirt wriggle so comically!-as though
II mouse were under it, But one day
his cunning little tail got caught in the
kitchen door. which took out several
kinks, and it never looked so pretty
afterward. Then he used to get his
nose scratched awfully from roofing
old Dinah the cat, when she laid down
to take nap in the chimney corner
After Pete got q few weeks old, he
stayed out of doors most of the time:
but when hungry, he would always run
to the house.
''If he found the door shut, how he
would squcal! Even Aunt Dolly, who
didn't like him, was glad to let him in.
Then if did not get his dinner at
once, he would follow me about. grab
my dress-skirt in his mouth, and shake
it as hard as he could.
"One day he followed me to school.
like Mary's little lamb. YOU know.
But. like him, Pete didn't feed about
in the grass. He tipped over the
childrcn's dinner-pails and ate all
their dinner. What fuss there was
then!
"After time Pete got very mischiev-
Gus in the garden. biting off the tender
lettuce, and gnawing every thing no
could find. / begged that he should
not be put with the other pigs in tho
dirty pen, and to please me father
tied him in the clovcr-field back of the
house. But one morning he got loose.
could not find him anywhere at home,
and was about to start off to Uncle
Daniels, where he had several times
done mischief, when heard great
outcry.
1.-The next moment Pete came racing
into the yard, with his mouth wide
open and squealing his very loudest. 1
just caught "a glimpse of him as he
scootcd past me into the kitchen and
hid himself in the dresscr-cupboarl.
the door of which stood open, among
the hcrb-bags.
"But he still squealed and 'ooted,' as
II in great panic, and when 1 dragged
him out. l found his poor, kinky little
tail was being pinched awfully with
split stick astride it. My naughty
cousins, Tom and Ned, had found him
busily Mt work in their carrot-bed, and
had put it on his tail as "A punishment
ut was OF no use begging any long,
Ell. Into the pen Pete had to 20, and
he grew so fat that he could scarcely
sec. In the fall he was sold with the
other pigs, and with the money father
bought me bright mcrino dress. But
did not enjoy it much. ~ Christine
Stephens, in Youths COMPANION.